DCS STEM Class

Due to the support of the Perloff Foundation, our school is fortunate to have three Flashforge 3D printers. Last year, we used these printers for many different projects and our fifth and sixth graders are using them for their first design project of the year. For those who are unfamilar with 3D printing, this linked video shares a simple overview of the process and discusses some potential applications for the technology in the medical and other scientific fields. https://safeYouTube.net/w/OK6t Our fifth and sixth graders are working on a keychain design project to familiarize themselves with the 3D CAD software tool Tinkercad and the 3D printing process. Working within specific size and design parameters, students are creating their own custom keychains. Check out some of their work below!

After reviewing our STEM class mindsets, 3rd and 4th graders attempted to create a tower that could hold a Lego minifigure (in a cup) up as high as possible. Working in teams, students had to problem-solve to make efficient use of their limited materials. Despite starting with the same basket of materials, teams used very different approaches to the challenge. Check out some of their techniques below.

This week, second grade students began learning about our five STEM class mindsets. These mindsets -- represented by the acronym "IDEAS" -- describe the dispositions we try to cultivate in order to be successful in STEM class. Our first mindset is "Imagine Possibilities." Students learned that this mindset is about generating lots of different ideas and recognizing that we can use materials in a variety of ways to make things and solve problems. During the activity portion of class, the second graders worked in small groups to create something from a basket of assorted materials. When groups shared, we noticed that each team invented something different and that there are many possible creations that can be devised from a common set of materials. Check out some of their work below!

We've had a busy first week in the STEM Lab! Younger students are working on learning what STEM is and practicing some of our routines, while older students have jumped right into projects with LittleBits and 3D printing. Here a few photos from our first days of school.

Our 4th grade students finished the year by designing cars made from recycled materials. This challenge required lots of tinkering and iterating, particularly to create a functioning set of wheels and axles. Check out a few of our final designs below!

For their final project of the year, 5th and 6th graders have been exploring properties of bubbles and bubble wands. After experimenting with manufactured wands, students then created their own wands using a variety of materials, including screen, popsicle sticks, wire, rubber bands, straws, and paper clips. Following the testing of their created wands, students then used 3D modeling software to design and 3D print a bubble wand.

Over the past several weeks, our first grade students have been designing and building bird feeders using recycled materials.  In creating their feeders, students had to meet three success criteria. 1. The feeder must have a way to attach to a tree branch. 2. The feeder must have a way to put bird seed inside.  3. The feeder must have a way for the birds to access the food. This week, we put some of our bird feeders out onto our trail. We hope the birds are enjoying the feast!